+++ title = "chef-solo (executable)" draft = false
gh_repo = "chef-web-docs"
aliases = ["/ctl_chef_solo.html"]
[menu] [menu.infra] title = "chef-solo (executable)" identifier = "chef_infra/features/chef_solo/ctl_chef_solo.md chef-solo Commands" parent = "chef_infra/features/chef_solo" weight = 20 +++
{{< readfile file="content/reusable/md/chef_solo_summary.md" >}}
This command has the following syntax:
chef-solo OPTION VALUE OPTION VALUE ...This command has the following options:
-c CONFIG, --config CONFIG
: The configuration file to use.
-d, --daemonize
: Run the executable as a daemon. This option may not be used in the same command with the --[no-]fork option. This option is only available on machines that run in UNIX or Linux environments. For machines that are running Windows that require similar functionality, use the chef-client::service recipe in the chef-client cookbook: https://supermarket.chef.io/cookbooks/chef-client. This will install a Chef Infra Client service under Windows using the Windows Service Wrapper.
-E ENVIRONMENT_NAME, --environment ENVIRONMENT_NAME
: The name of the environment.
-f, --[no-]fork
: Contains Chef Infra Client runs in a secondary process with dedicated RAM. When a Chef Infra Client run is complete, the RAM is returned to the master process. This option helps ensure that a Chef Infra Client uses a steady amount of RAM over time because the master process does not run recipes. This option also helps prevent memory leaks such as those that can be introduced by the code contained within a poorly designed cookbook. Use --no-fork to disable running Chef Infra Client in fork node. Default value: --fork. This option may not be used in the same command with the --daemonize and --interval options.
-F FORMAT, --format FORMAT
: {{< readfile file="content/workstation/reusable/md/ctl_chef_client_options_format.md" >}}
--force-formatter
: Show formatter output instead of logger output.
--force-logger
: Show logger output instead of formatter output.
-g GROUP, --group GROUP
: The name of the group that owns a process. This is required when starting any executable as a daemon.
-h, --help
: Show help for the command.
-i SECONDS, --interval SECONDS
: The frequency (in seconds) at which Chef Infra Client runs. When running Chef Infra Client at intervals, apply --splay and --interval values before a Chef Infra Client run. This option may not be used in the same command with the --[no-]fork option.
-j PATH, --json-attributes PATH
: The path to a file that contains JSON data.
{{< readfile file="content/reusable/md/node_ctl_run_list.md" spaces=4 >}}
{{< warning spaces=4 >}}
{{< readfile file="content/reusable/md/node_ctl_attribute.md">}}
{{< /warning >}}
-l LEVEL, --log_level LEVEL
: The level of logging to be stored in a log file. Possible levels: auto (default), debug, error, fatal, info, trace, or warn. Default value: warn (when a terminal is available) or info (when a terminal is not available).
-L LOGLOCATION, --logfile c
: The location of the log file. This is recommended when starting any executable as a daemon.
--legacy-mode
: Cause Chef Infra Client to use the original chef-solo mode instead of chef local mode. This is not recommended. Removed in Chef Infra Client 14.
--minimal-ohai
: Run the Ohai plugins for name detection and resource/provider selection and no other Ohai plugins. Set to true during integration testing to speed up test cycles.
--[no-]color
: View colored output. Default setting: --color.
-N NODE_NAME, --node-name NODE_NAME
: The unique identifier of the node.
-o RUN_LIST_ITEM, --override-runlist RUN_LIST_ITEM
: Replace the current run-list with the specified items.
-r RECIPE_URL, --recipe-url RECIPE_URL
: The URL of the remote cookbook tar.gz file that you want to download.
In Chef Infra Client 14, the short `-r` form will be removed, as it conflicts with the ability to specify a run list.
--run-lock-timeout SECONDS
: The amount of time (in seconds) to wait for a Chef Infra Client lock file to be deleted. Default value: not set (indefinite). Set to 0 to cause a second Chef Infra Client to exit immediately.
-s SECONDS, --splay SECONDS
: A random number between zero and splay that is added to interval. Use splay to help balance the load on the Chef Infra Server by ensuring that many Chef Infra Client runs are not occurring at the same interval. When running Chef Infra Client at intervals, apply --splay and --interval values before a Chef Infra Client run.
-u USER, --user USER
: The user that owns a process. This is required when starting any executable as a daemon.
-v, --version
: The Chef Infra Client version.
-W, --why-run
: Run the executable in why-run mode, which is a type of Chef Infra Client run that does everything except modify the system. Use why-run mode to understand the decisions that Chef Infra Client makes during a run and to learn more about the current and proposed state of the system.
{{< warning >}}
This configuration for the chef user provides root-level access through Chef script files that call system commands with sudo privileges.
Use an alternative approach if your security profile forbids the chef user from having built-in root level access.
{{< /warning >}}
chef-solo may be run as a non-root user. For example, you can update the sudoers file:
# chef-solo privilege specification
chef ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/chef-solowhere chef is the name of the non-root user. This would allow chef-solo to run any command on the node without requiring a password.
chef-solo -c ~/chef/solo.rbchef-solo -c ~/solo.rb -j ~/node.json -r http://www.example.com/chef-solo.tar.gzThe tar.gz is archived into the file_cache_path, and then extracted to
cookbooks_path.
chef-solo -c ~/solo.rb -j ~/node.jsonchef-solo will look in the solo.rb file to determine the directory in which cookbooks are located.
chef-solo -c ~/solo.rb -j http://www.example.com/node.json --recipe-url http://www.example.com/chef-solo.tar.gzwhere --recipe-url corresponds to recipe_url and -j corresponds to json_attribs, both of which are configuration options in solo.rb.